


Rescue Mission

by chainsawdog



Series: Order Abandoned [12]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-27
Updated: 2016-05-27
Packaged: 2018-06-10 03:02:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 2,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6936733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chainsawdog/pseuds/chainsawdog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In an attempt to kill Mace Windu, Boba Fett injured both the Jedi Master and Anakin Skywalker. Having taken hostages, the child bounty hunter threatens to kill them if Mace Windu doesn't comply to his demands. In place of Windu, Plo Koon and Ahsoka Tano go after the bounty hunters. Meanwhile, Anakin Skywalker is stuck in a medcentre, unable to help.</p><p>After R2 Come Home and during Lethal Trackdown.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Skyguy, you _idiot_!”  
  
At a disapproving look from Plo Koon, Ahsoka tried to correct herself.  
  
“I meant, uh… An- Master, you could have died! If it wasn’t for Artoo…”  
  
Anakin lay on a stretcher, wrapped in bandages. Nearby, Mace Windu was in a similar condition. He’d praised Artoo for his work, and although Anakin had made a joke – ‘That’s more praise than I ever get,’ – Ahsoka could tell he was a little insulted.  
  
“If it wasn’t for Artoo, Master Windu and I would probably be dead,” Anakin said. “I’m sorry, Snips.”  
  
“You are lucky Ahsoka was around, too, Master Skywalker,” said Plo. “If she had not been there to identify your droid, I very much doubt his message would have come through.”  
  
“You have some pretty serious burns,” Ahsoka said. “It’s nothing a night in a bacta tank won’t fix.” She punched him playfully on the leg, and he winced in pain. “Sorry,” she said. “So what happened? Did you crash another ship?”  
  
Anakin rolled his eyes. “No,” he said. “I…”  
  
“He triggered a trap,” said Mace.  
  
Anakin glanced at the Jedi Master, who was frowning at him.  
  
“Yeah,” said Anakin. “I picked up a helmet, and it set off an explosion.”  
  
“A helmet?” said Ahsoka.  
  
“Sir,” said a clone trooper – one of Plo’s Wolffe Pack. “We should really get Skywalker and Windu to a medcentre.”  
  
“Of course,” said Plo. “We can question them further once they are rested.”  
  
“You should be more careful, Skyguy,” Ahsoka said quietly, walking beside his gurney. Before they were separated, Anakin squeezed her hand.  
  
“I’ll try, Ahsoka,” he said gently.


	2. Chapter 2

Ahsoka sat on the edge of Anakin’s hospital bed. He was propped up on some pillows, and smiling. Ahsoka had brought him a small mechanical sphere to occupy him while he rested. It was strange to see him out of uniform, but nice to see him getting some rest.  
  
“Where’s Obi-Wan?” Anakin asked.  
  
Ahsoka shrugged. “Master Yoda sent him off with Senator Organa to negotiate with someone,” she said. “I wasn’t really paying attention when they briefed him.”  
  
Anakin laughed.  
  
“You’re feeling better?” Ahsoka asked.  
  
Anakin’s hands were busy with the sphere, but he watched Ahsoka while he spoke. “Yeah,” he said. “Although they said that the bone you broke when you punched me might never heal.”  
  
It took Ahsoka a second to realise that Anakin was messing with her.  
  
“Oh, _ha ha_ , Skyguy,” she said, crossing her arms. “You should stop getting into these situations when I’m not there to save you!”  
  
“I think Artoo did a pretty good job,” Anakin protested, still smiling. “Of course, things would probably have been better if you were there.”  
  
Ahsoka started to smile, but then Anakin added, “Or you would have been trapped with me and Master Windu.”  
  
Ahsoka punched his arm.  
  
“Ow!” Anakin said, grabbing the spot she’d hit. “I’m still healing, Ahsoka!”  
  
Ahsoka grinned smugly. “That didn’t hurt,” she told him. “I didn’t hit you _that_ hard.”  
  
“You broke my arm, Ahsoka,” Anakin said, his face serious. As he spoke, he moved the arm she had punched so he could point a finger at her. “I’ll never be able to use this arm again.”  
  
“Knock it off,” Ahsoka said, smacking his hand away. “You’re fine.”  
  
“Yeah, I am,” he said. “Thanks to you and Master Plo.”  
  
“And Artoo,” Ahsoka reminded him quickly.  
  
Anakin smiled gently. “And Artoo,” he repeated.  
  
“So what did happen?” asked Ahsoka. “I heard that some kid tried to kill Master Windu.”  
  
Anakin nodded. “A clone,” he began.  
  
Ahsoka’s eyebrows shot up. “A clone?” she repeated.  
  
“Not one of our men,” Anakin clarified. “The son of the bounty hunter, Jango Fett. Master Windu killed him on Geonosis, and apparently Boba Fett saw it happen.”  
  
Ahsoka winced. “Oh,” she said. “And Jango… was his father?” Her mouth twisted in sympathy. “I can’t imagine what that would be like.”  
  
Anakin’s face went blank, and he looked away from Ahsoka.  
  
“So, Boba wants revenge on Master Windu?” Ahsoka asked.  
  
Anakin nodded, still not meeting her eyes.  
  
Ahsoka frowned, and leaned forward to touch Anakin’s hand. “Skyguy, what’s wrong?”  
  
“Nothing,” Anakin said quietly.  
  
“Are you worried about Master Windu?”  
  
Anakin’s lip quirked in a smile. “No,” he said.  
  
“Then what’s wrong?”  
  
“Ahsoka, it’s nothing, there’s nothing wrong,” Anakin said, his tone turning harsh.  
  
Ahsoka raised an eyebrow, and crossed her arms. “Fine,” she said sharply. “What are we gonna do about this Boba Fett?”  
  
Anakin shrugged. “I don’t know,” he said. “I think we should go after him, to stop him from hurting anyone else.”  
  
Ahsoka tapped her fingers on her leg, frowning thoughtfully. “Not to… not to kill him, right?”  
  
“No!” Anakin replied. “Just to… bring him in.”  
  
“I guess that would be better than letting him hurt more people,” Ahsoka said quietly.  
  
“He took down an entire cruiser, just to get to Mace,” said Anakin. “This kid’s dangerous. We have a responsibility to do something about him.”  
  
“Maybe you should let Master Windu handle this, Anakin.”  
  
Anakin pressed his lips together in a straight line. “I’ll talk to him,” he said.  
  
With a grunt, Anakin swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat himself up. He got to his feet, and Ahsoka grabbed his arm.  
  
“I’m fine, Ahsoka,” Anakin said gently. “I can walk.”  
  
“If you say so,” said Ahsoka. “Well, I was supposed to be with Master Plo anyway. I guess I’ll see you around, Skyguy?”  
  
Anakin patted Ahsoka on the head. She smiled up at him with a scrunched nose.  
  
“You know my montrals aren’t the same as hair,” she said. “You can’t ruffle them.”  
  
Anakin laughed as they walked out of the room together.  
  
“I know,” he said.  
  
They each turned in a different direction, and parted ways.


	3. Chapter 3

The bounty hunters had taken hostages; Admiral Killian, and two clone troopers from Mace Windu’s Lightning Squadron – Commander Ponds and Razor. Ahsoka, Plo, Mace, and Anakin witnessed the execution of Commander Ponds at the hands of the bounty hunter Aurra Sing. Boba had been unwilling to fire. Perhaps there was hope for him, after all.  
  
Mace had said he would go to find the hostages, but Plo had insisted both he and Anakin stay behind. They were still recovering from their injuries, and Plo believed Mace’s presence would only aggravate the situation.  
  
Ahsoka was going with Plo Koon to find the bounty hunters. Anakin was glad that it was Plo she was with. Other than himself and Obi-Wan, there were few Jedi Anakin trusted with his Padawan.  
  
Once Anakin had returned to his room at the medcentre, he contacted Obi-Wan. He knew that Padmé was in the middle of a Senate hearing, and she had said she would try and call him later that day. It would look too suspicious if she visited him.  
  
It took two attempts, but eventually Obi-Wan answered. He appeared as a hologram in the small projector Anakin held in his hand.  
  
“What is it, Anakin?”  
  
“I… just wanted to see your face,” Anakin said with a smile.  
  
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. “You’re lucky I’m alone,” he said. “I’m sure Bail would have questions if he heard your tone.”  
  
Anakin’s smile grew. “I don’t know what you mean,” he said slyly. “My tone is perfectly normal.”  
  
There was a pause as they regarded one another.  
  
“So,” said Obi-Wan. “You’re back from your mission on the _Endurance?_ ”  
  
Anakin nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “Everything went fine.”  
  
Obi-Wan frowned, looking up at Anakin. Crossing his arms, he said, “That doesn’t sound right.”  
  
“Don’t you have _any_ faith in me, Obi-Wan?” Anakin laughed.  
  
Obi-Wan shook his head, but couldn’t hide his smile. “I do,” he said. “You know I do. But Ahsoka told me what happened.”  
  
“What?” Anakin asked, grinning. “Betrayal!”  
  
“Anakin,” Obi-Wan’s tone was gentle. “I’m glad you’re okay.”  
  
Anakin felt tears well in his eyes. He looked away from Obi-Wan, trying to keep his breathing steady. This was still so new to him. He wasn’t sure how to respond.  
  
“Anakin?”  
  
Obi-Wan’s voice drew him back.  
  
“Hm?”  
  
“I said, is everything all right?”  
  
Anakin gazed down at Obi-Wan, now unable to tear his eyes away. “I… I miss you,” he said. “Whenever you’re away, or whenever I’m away, I miss you _so_ much.”  
  
Obi-Wan glanced down.  
  
“How do you handle it?”  
  
Obi-Wan sighed, and looked back up at Anakin. “I just do, Anakin,” he said. “I know I’ll see you again. I can feel you even when we’re apart.”  
  
“Don’t you worry?” Anakin asked quietly. “I’m so scared that every time… I don’t want it to be the last time.”  
  
Obi-Wan rubbed his own shoulder, looking down once more. “You have to accept that could happen,” he said.  
  
Anakin could barely hear him, but his heart fluttered with fear when he realised what Obi-Wan had said. He couldn’t accept the possibility of losing Obi-Wan.  
  
“And if something does happen, Anakin, don’t think about yourself,” Obi-Wan continued. “Think of what I would want. What Padmé would want. What Ahsoka would want.”  
  
Anakin looked down, tears rolling down his cheeks.  
  
“I’ll… talk to you later, Obi-Wan,” he said, his throat tight. “I love you.”  
  
There was a pause, and Anakin was afraid to look. He was worried Obi-Wan had hung up before Anakin had said those last words.  
  
Then, “I love you too, Anakin.”  
  
That brought a small smile to his lips.  
  
“Thank you.”  
  
Then Anakin ended the call with Obi-Wan, feeling a little better for their conversation. Ahsoka would return. Plo Koon would bring her back. Obi-Wan would be back on Coruscant soon enough, and Padmé was home, safe. Things would be okay.


	4. Chapter 4

Ahsoka and Plo had visited the Undercity, and were now following a lead off-planet. They were headed to Florrum, the planet where Obi-Wan and Anakin had once been held hostage by the Weequay pirate, Hondo Ohnaka.  
  
Ahsoka remembered those events fondly. She had proven to be more capable than the two of them in that situation. First, Obi-Wan and Anakin had gotten themselves trapped in a cave with Gundarks on Vanqor. If it hadn’t been for Ahsoka and the 501st, Anakin and Obi-Wan would have died in that cave. On top of the Gundarks, there had been poisonous gasses in the cave. When those two messed up, they messed up spectacularly.  
  
“So, Ahsoka,” said Plo.  
  
Ahsoka glanced at him. Plo was piloting, staring straight ahead.  
  
“What’s up, Master Plo?” Ahsoka asked. She had her hands on her knees, and was tapping her foot absentmindedly.  
  
“What exactly is the situation between Master Kenobi and Skywalker?”  
  
Ahsoka sank into her seat, looking away from Plo. She shrugged. “I dunno,” she said. “They’re a team, and sometimes Master Kenobi acts like I’m his Padawan.”  
  
“I have noticed,” said Plo. “But, Ahsoka, I believe they are… involved. I know it is none of my business, but I wanted to check that this was not affecting you.”  
  
Ahsoka pursed her lips. “Hm,” she said. “Nah. I think they’re happier now. When they’re not fighting they’re a lot better at everything. And I think they fought a lot anyway,” she wiggled her hand vaguely. “Before this.”  
  
Plo chuckled. “You’re correct,” he said. “Those two have the strangest relationship of any Jedi I’ve ever seen.”  
  
Ahsoka slumped further into her chair. “So you’re not gonna get them in trouble?”  
  
She played with the necklace that Plo had given her for her birthday. It was a medallion, really, with a circular blue stone in the middle. A chain pattern was inlaid behind four pointed, petal-like ellipses. Since Master Plo had gifted it to her, Ahsoka had not taken it off. She wore it beneath her clothes, both for practicality and to keep it hidden from sight. In times of stress, it gave her some measure of comfort.  
  
“No,” said Plo. Ahsoka saw his mask move in the way that meant he was smiling. “The Council will not find out from me.” He glanced at her. “But they might find out if Skywalker and Kenobi do not learn discretion.”  
  
Ahsoka laughed.  
  
“And how are you, Ahsoka?” Plo asked. “You did an excellent job at finding the information we needed.”  
  
Ahsoka pulled her knees up to her chest, curling up into a ball in her seat. “Ah,” she said. “But I started that fight.”  
  
“Regardless,” said Plo. “We found out where the bounty hunters are keeping our men because of you. Ahsoka, you are a better Jedi than you realise.”  
  
Ahsoka felt heat rise in her face. She wasn’t sure she could make herself any smaller. “Thank you, Master Plo,” she said quietly.  
  
“Do not worry, Ahsoka,” he said. “We will bring Aurra and Boba in.”  
  
“You have a plan?”  
  
“Of course, little ‘Soka,” Plo replied. “I am not reckless enough to rush in without one.”  
  
Ahsoka bit her lip, knowing what Anakin would have said in reply to her question.  
  
As if he sensed her thoughts, Plo said, “But we all work differently. Sometimes it’s important to be prepared for any situation. And if that means reacting rather than acting in accordance to a plan, then that is what is necessary.”  
  
Ahsoka glanced at him, but his face betrayed no emotion. It might have had something to do with the mask that he wore. Ahsoka knew him quite well by now, and she could read his emotions.  
  
After a pause, Plo Koon began to fill Ahsoka in on his plan.


	5. Chapter 5

Aurra Sing escaped, despite Ahsoka’s efforts. They managed to bring Boba Fett into custody, and Ahsoka heard later from Anakin that the child had declared he’d never forgive Mace Windu.  
  
“Which is fair enough, I think,” said Anakin. He and Ahsoka were sitting together above the training grounds. “There are some things that can’t be forgiven.”  
  
Ahsoka looked at him, raising an eyebrow. She was sitting on the wall, Anakin leaning against it with his arms crossed. Down below, Master Swan was teaching younglings a simple ‘saber form.  
  
“Like what?” Ahsoka asked.  
  
“Like someone killing someone you love,” Anakin replied quietly.  
  
Ahsoka frowned, looking down at the younglings. “But Master Yoda says we’re supposed to let go of those feelings. ‘The Jedi way, revenge is not.’”  
  
Anakin smiled at her impression of Master Yoda. “I know,” he said. “And forgiveness is something we’re supposed to practice. But Boba isn’t a Jedi. He’s just a kid, who saw his dad die at the hands of Master Windu. I can sympathise.”  
  
“How come?” Ahsoka asked.  
  
Anakin glanced at her.  
  
“I lost someone, once,” he said. “They were taken from me. I still haven’t forgiven the people who took her.”  
  
“Her?”  
  
Anakin shook his head. “Doesn’t matter,” he said, in a small voice.  
  
Ahsoka pulled a face, but she said, “Okay, Skyguy.”  
  
There was a pause. Then, “You wanna go kill stuff in a hologame?”  
  
Anakin laughed. “Sure, Snips,” he said. “Sounds like a plan.”


	6. Chapter 6

Boba Fett sat alone in a Republic cell, hugging his legs to his chest. He had failed his father. Aurra had abandoned him to the Jedi. Mace Windu was still alive.  
  
He put his head in his hands. There was nothing he could do. Boba was a child, despite his desire for revenge. He was skilled with a blaster, and able to pilot a ship. He’d inherited Jango’s talents, was as good as any clone trooper – maybe better – at fighting. Yet he wasn’t going to be able to break out of jail alone.  
  
There was nothing he could do but wait, and hope that someone would come for him.


End file.
